


A Fireside Lovesong

by josthockeythings



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Age Difference, AvsFamPhotoChallenge, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Winter, blizzard, stuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21927100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josthockeythings/pseuds/josthockeythings
Summary: Erik owns a farm in Canada and has a crush on a young Sam Girard, a college student, and son of a business associate in Quebec. Sam comes out for dinner unexpectedly and gets stuck when a blizzard hits. Erik's heart just can't take it.
Relationships: Samuel Girard/Erik Johnson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 114





	A Fireside Lovesong

**Author's Note:**

> First: If you found this by googling someone you know or yourself, please turn back now. This is a work of fiction and everything in it is fiction or is pubic knowledge online.
> 
> This is the winter edition of the AvsFamPhotoChallenge!! This is my contribution. I hope you enjoy some pining Erik and Sam fluff!! The picture that was the prompt is at the beginning of the fic.
> 
> Thank you to my beta abby for taking a look at this on short notice!
> 
> Also, the French is just Google translate so please don't come at me too harshly about it! I'm sure it's terrible! Translations will be in the end notes!

Erik was cold. Granted he was always cold. It’s part of the job. He stands, shaking the cold off, to grab another log to put on the fire. It was getting kind of low. The wind was starting to pick up. The clouds aren’t looking too happy. Erik grabs one of the wool blankets off the side of the hut when he sits back down by the fire.

It’s a weird time in the season. Too long after Thanksgiving for the early decorators but too long before Christmas for the late ones. Business has been steadily slow for the last week or so. Poinsettias line the porch of his sale hut. Evergreen trees stand tall in their roped section. Wreaths (made by him and decorated by the local townswomen) hang on the railings. Logs with red and green plaid cushions surround the firepit Erik fashioned from an old feed bin.

It’s business enough for the dead of winter. On the weekdays anyway. On the weekends his farm is a full-on Christmas Farm. He hires a Santa. His horses pull a dazzling cart. The kids can feed his animals treats. There’s hot cocoa and apple cider and treats galore. Erik decorates his farm, so it truly is a special winter wonderland. It’s a lot of work, but it is so worth it. He enjoys every second of it, despite what the townswomen say about his attitude toward the holiday season. He genuinely enjoys it. He just never shows when he enjoys anything, let alone the holidays.

He hugs his blanket a little closer as the wind get nippier and the angry clouds get a bit closer. He might just call it a day. It really looks like those clouds could turn into a storm and he needs to get the animals in and hatches battened down on everything around the farm so nothing flies away in the storm.

He gets up, bracing himself for the winter wind. He meticulously goes through everything at the stand, getting the blankets and poinsettias inside, the trees strapped down and the logs pilled against the side of the stand. He debates not putting out the fire, because the storm is bound to drop snow, but he can’t do it, not with so much product nearby and the wind so strong. He fills a large bucket with water and dumps it on the fire.

He gets in his truck to drive the short way to his farm. He whistles for his dogs when he hops out. Four dogs come sprinting after him. “Veda, Sebastian. Go!” He whistles and the two retrievers take off after his horses. The horses know what to do, seeing Veda and Seb. They follow the dogs back to the barn without question, where Erik leaves them hay and water before shutting it tightly behind him. The wind is getting nastier every minute he spends outside. He whistles for the dogs and Veda and Seb take off after his goats and sheep. He herds the chickens into their coop and meets all four of his pooches on the porch. Gia looks up at him with mournful eyes. He scratches her head then let’s them all inside.

The dogs hop onto their respective couch spots and Erik meticulously strips his warm outerwear. He can hear the wind starting to howl outside. He doesn’t remember a big storm like this being predicted, but anything can happen in Canadian winter.

He’s in the kitchen, checking the chili and getting a beer. Then, he hears the dogs scrambling before he hears a knock at the door.

“What the hell?” Erik mutters.

He walks out and looks out the window before opening the door. Standing outside is Sam. He’s a student in town at Nipissing. He’s also the son of a rich Quebec man that Erik buys equipment from for his farm. He tries to keep their relationship as friendly as possible because he gets discounts from the guy.

He opens the door, and Sam stumbles in. “What are you doing here?” Erik asks. It’s blowing snow now, the beginning of a blizzard.

“Wanted to hang out tonight. I did not expect the storm,” Sam says between breaths and stripping his outerwear.

“Why didn’t you call?” Erik says huffing. The boy looks so cold. Did he park his fancy SUV at the stand for Christ’s sake?

“I did,” Sam says looking up at him. “No one answered.”

“You didn’t try the stand or my cell?”

Sam shakes his head. He leans back against the wall, still sitting on the bench in the entryway. “I did not think to call the stand and you never answer your cell anyway.”

Erik’s brow furrows. He doesn’t like that this kid knows him so well. “You’re here now, I guess. Let’s get you warmed up and a beer in your hand.”

Sam beams and pops up. He idly rubs the dogs’ heads as they move to the kitchen. Erik opens the fridge and hands Sam a beer. Sam thanks him with a nod of his head. Sam takes his beer to the living room to hang out with the dogs who eagerly lap up his attention. They’ve always loved him. Erik shakes his head before he thinks anything more of it.

“How’s school?” he asks, looking into the slow cooker of chili. He begins to stir it idly.

“As good as school can be,” Sam responds.

“Are you off for break yet?” Erik tastes the chili. It’s pretty good, probably ready.

“Yeah. As long as the storm passes, I will be driving home later this week,” Sam says.

Erik starts getting the bowls down from the cupboards and serving the chili. “Well good luck with that. I hope it clears up for you.

Sam appears at his side smiling. “Yes. I do too.”

“Want some chili?” Erik asks.

Sam nods and takes the bowl from Erik’s hand, balancing it and his beer between his hands. Erik sets his own fixings on the kitchen bar next to Sam. He goes into the living room to throw a log on the fire. It’s starting to really get cold inside. He can see the snow blowing outside and nothing else. They might have a full-on blizzard on their hands. He hopes Sam’s decision to come here tonight doesn’t get him stuck.

The dogs lift their heads to watch him work. Then, they whine quietly and go back to almost sleeping on the couches.

When Erik returns back to the kitchen, Sam is halfway through his bowl of chili. Erik lets himself take a moment to admire the lines of Sam’s back. He must workout or play on a school club or athletic team of some sort to be in that good of shape. “What are you studying again?” Erik asks as he sits down. He needs to distract himself. He’s been interested in this boy for as long as he’s been working with his father. Sam is a friend. His father a couple decades older than Erik, but he himself about a decade younger than Erik. He shouldn’t be interested in Sam, and he’s definitely never let either party know his feelings towards the kid. It would be wildly inappropriate, not to mention what Sam’s father might do to Erik’s’ equipment prices if he ever found out. Erik relies on their friendly relationship to keep his costs down. He’s not sure if he’d be able to keep the farm if it weren’t for Sam’s family. His farm is everything to him. It definitely means more to him that some cute kid that happens to like to hang out with Erik a lot.

Sam hums through another bite of chili before answering. “I am getting my undergraduate in biology so I can move onto Nipissing’s graduate program for Kinesiology. I want to work as an athletic trainer for a hockey team someday.”

Erik notes the slight blush on Sam’s cheeks. He doesn’t know if it’s from the cold, the wind, or the warmth of the chili, or maybe even embarrassment. Erik can’t be sure. He also unfortunately notes how good it looks sitting high on his cheeks like that. He takes a bite of chili to hide whatever might be on his own face. “That would be really cool, kid.”

Sam scowls. “You know I am not a kid, anymore. I can drink legally in the United States, and I graduate with my first degree in the spring.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Erik says around a mouthful of chili. “But you will always be the eighteen-year-old kid you were when I met you.” He jokingly bumps shoulders with Sam, but he doesn’t seem to be as amused as other times Erik has made the joke.

Erik goes back to eating his chili, a tense silence falling over the two of them. The wind is still howling. It’s louder than the crackling of the fire in the living room. Sam stands up, bowl empty and rounds the counter to get some more.

“You still put down food like a growing kid,” Erik says, desperate to start the conversation again. Feelings aside, he does genuinely like Sam as a friend, even if it is a little weird that a guy in his young twenties hangs out with a farmer in his thirties.

Sam rolls his eyes, but a grin is pulling at his lips.

“Maybe next summer, I can convince your dad to let you stay here and learn what real work looks like.”

Erik is not expecting the look of sheer excitement on Sam’s face when he turns around from spooning more chili into his bowl. “Really?” Sam asks. “You’d do that?”

Erik doesn’t hesitate before he nods. “Absolutely.” He regrets it almost immediately. Having Sam in his house with just the prospect of it turning into multiple days because of this storm is scaring him. He shouldn’t be offering Sam a summer job, but at the same time, he’ll need the extra hands this summer. He hasn’t been getting many calls about people needing work this year. There’s still time of course, but Erik is beginning to worry a little. And extra hands are always welcome on a farm.

Sam sits down next to Erik with a sunny glow. He bumps his shoulder against Erik’s before he takes his first bite of his second bowl of chili. There are so many reasons Erik shouldn’t be into Sam, and yet here he is, with butterflies in his stomach.

They eat the rest of their meal in silence. After Erik gets up and puts his bowl in the sink, he gets the dogs’ food out of the cupboard. They bound happily over to him and wait patiently for him to finish serving their meal before starting.

“You have trained them well,” Sam says, lingering in the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Erik says. He tries not to let the confusion show in his voice. Sam has been over several times, a few times for dinner. He’s seen the dogs in action. Yet, this is the first time he’s ever commented on it.

Before Sam can respond the house is shaken with another gust of wind. They both look to the window. Erik doesn’t even want to guess how much snow is coming down. It looks like Sam will be staying the night, at least. They both startle when Sam’s phone starts to ring in his pocket. Erik ducks his head and moves to the sink to wash the dishes. Sam picks up the call and walks out into the living room.

Erik hates himself a little for listening.

“Salut, Papa.”

Pause.

“Oui. Je vais bien. Je suis chez Erik.”

Erik’s heart jumps at his name. He doesn’t really understand anything else. His French is terrible. Thankfully, Sam’s dad does business with him in English.

“Ça ne va pas bien.”

Pause.

“Vraiment?”

Pause.

“Oui, oui Papa. Je ferai attention.”

Pause.

“J’tamie Papa.”

Erik busies himself with the dishes when he hears Sam hang up.

“My dad is worried,” Sam says. He looks a little scared himself.

“What’s up?” Erik asks.

“He saw the weather report. Apparently, the blizzard is not expected to stop for another day at least.”

Erik swallows to cover the way his heart is jumping at the thought of spending several days with Sam. It’s stupid. He knows it. “So, you’re stuck here?”

Sam nods. “Is that… okay?”

Erik grins. “Of course. Come on. Let’s get the guest bedroom set up.”

Sam grins back at Erik. It almost looks sad, but Erik has no idea why. He grabs some sheets from the linens closet on the way to the bedroom and chucks them at Sam.

“Hey!” he complains, head peeking out from behind the pile.

Erik giggles and pushes into the guest bedroom. It starts fairly casual, pulling sheets down over the bed. Then, Sam hits Erik with a pillow when he wasn’t looking. Erik turns sharply to stare at the giggling Sam. He glares and grabs the other pillow from the bed. He launches over the bed and after Sammy. Sam yelps and runs around the bed looking for an escape. Erik smiles widely when he lands a hit on Sam’s chest. Sam stumbles backwards and swings back. Erik can’t help the bubble of joy building in his chest as the two whack themselves with pillows. It’s probably the most fun he’s had with someone in years. This isn’t “going out with the guys for beer” this is intimate fun you have with someone very close to you.

Erik has tackled Sam to ground and has him pinned while he tickles him when the power goes out. Everything stops. All Erik can hear is their breathing and the dogs’ whines from the living room.

“Shit,” Erik sighs when it’s clear that it’s not going to turn back on.

“Erik? Is everything alright?” Sam asks. The fear is clear in his voice. This isn’t just a snowy night. This isn’t just a blizzard. This is a power outage in the middle of a blizzard. This is a “gonna be stuck here for a while” blizzard. Erik hates the way Sam is trembling beneath him.

“Yeah. I think the snow took out the power line though.” Erik sits up and shifts off of Sam.

“What does that mean?” Sam asks. He leans into Erik’s shoulder, still shaking a little.

“It means we’re going to get the fire going as big as possible, first. Then, we’re gonna find all the blankets from around the house and get them into the living room. “We’re gonna be fine, Sammy, okay?”

Sam nods. Erik helps Sam stand and they go to the living room. The dogs are standing on the couches whimpering their direction as they walk in. The glow of the fire is all the light in the room. Sam rubs the dogs’ heads while Erik goes to grab more wood. He curses, remembering most of it is on the porch.

“Sam, there are flashlights in a drawer in the kitchen. Grab one and start gathering the blankets. I’ve gotta get some wood from outside. Won’t take too long.”

“You will be careful, yes?” Sam asks.

Erik nods. “Course kid. Now go get those blankets. We don’t wanna freeze tonight.” He gives Sam a wink before turning to get his winter clothes on.

He tromps outside in several layers. It takes a couple trips to get all the wood off the porch and into the house. Looking back, he’s probably gone a bit overboard. They’ll get the power up sometime tomorrow. He’s sure of it. Besides, the fireplace was built to heat the house if he needed it too. They’ll be fine.

He starts to stack some larger logs on the fire before stacking the excess against the wall in the entryway. Sam comes back to the living room with a pile of blankets taller than he is. A couple drag behind him. He looks like a child getting ready to make a fort. Erik kind of feels like that.

Erik smiles at him when Sam dumps the blankets in the middle of the room. They pull the cushions off the couch and with the blankets fashion an extremely oversized bed on the floor. The dogs take spots on the side and near the bottom. It looks like the coziest place on Earth and Erik wouldn’t want to be anywhere else tonight.

“Need sleep clothes?” he asks, knowing the answer. Sam didn’t expect to spend the night.

Sam nods, and they head back to Erik’s room. He hands Sam some sweats and an old, soft t-shirt. He feels tingles in his fingers where they brush Sam’s as he takes the clothes. This is stupid. He feels like a schoolgirl with a crush. Maybe, after tonight, things will settle. He’ll have spent a night with the kid, and that’ll help him get his feelings under control, at least a little. He changes quickly, while Sam changes in Erik’s bathroom. He grabs and few pillows from his bed for them to sleep with.

He’s in the living room when Sam comes out changed. Erik’s shirt is a little oversized and the sweats are much too long. His stomach swoops at the sight. He chastises himself, then let’s himself look his fill. Sam collapses on their makeshift bed in a heap.

“You are sure we are going to be okay, yes?” Sam asks.

Erik hooks his arm around Sam’s neck and pulls him in for a quick nougie. “Yes, dork. We’ll be fine. My house is equipped for something like this.” Even if I’m not, Erik finishes in his head. He will never be ready for the Sam sized gap in his heart.

Sam squirms out of Erik’s grip. “Alright. Alright.” He pats Beau who’s laying next to him. The lab shifts so his head is on Sam’s lap.

“So, is there anyone at school?” Erik asks. He grabs the pillows and starts shifting them underneath him. He hands a few to Sam.

“Anyone at school who what?” Sam asks. He’s not looking at Erik, giving all his attention to Beau who is glowing under the attention.

“Who you’re, well, you know…” Erik doesn’t really know how to ask what he’s asking. He mostly just wants to know there’s someone else in Sam’s life, to keep him out of it himself.

Sam turns to him a little confused. “Like, a girlfriend or boyfriend?”

Erik nods, turning his own attention to Veda.

“No. There’s not. Why?”

Erik doesn’t want to look at Sam’s face. “I was just wondering that’s all.”

“Erik.”

Erik swallows. Sam’s voice is soft, and it makes Erik feel like he’s about to be let down. But, when he turns to face Sam, his face is glowing, although it might be the firelight. He’s smiling brightly, and Beau is whining for lack of attention.

“Was it because, well, you might like me?” Sam asks, his voice full of hope.

Erik doesn’t know what to say to that. Thankfully, his face does all the talking for him, because Sam surges forward and presses his lips to Erik’s. Erik has never had a better kiss. He really hasn’t. He’s not sure he can describe it. It’s like fireworks and the warmth of being home and the happiness of Christmas all in one. It feels like Erik could burst. He pulls Sam in and kisses him like nothing in the world is wrong. Because, when you break it down, it really isn’t. He’s got all he’s ever wanted in this room: a roaring fire, his dogs, and someone he loves. He does, love Sam. It’s hard not to love the kid. And Erik wants his face around all the time now.

Sam’s hand slips lower, and Erik stops him, because as much as he wants to, getting it on right now would be a very, very bad idea. Sam whines questioningly into the kiss that Erik carefully breaks.

“I don’t think either one of us wants to clean up after. Let’s just do this tonight.”

Sam smiles and goes right back to kissing Erik. If nothing else, it helps keep them warm.

As they’re laying down for bed, Erik turns to Sam. “Just so we’re on the same page. This isn’t like a one time deal for me, Sammy. I can’t… I don’t think I’m the just-dating type either… I…” Sam cuts him off before he can continue.

“I know, mon chum. I know what I signed up for.” He kisses Erik again, softer. It’s the kind of kiss that says “I know and I want you too.” Erik sighs happily.

Later in the night, Erik wakes to Sam curling into his chest, then suddenly there’s a sharp knee in his ribs.

He groans. “Ow, fuck. Sam, you kneed me.”

Sam hums. “Yes, mon chum, I do need you.”

Erik’s heart soars. He wraps himself around Sam, gives him a kiss on the forehead and goes back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are lifeblood and make the writing happen faster!!! Please leave them if you enjoyed!!! 
> 
> French Translations:
> 
> Salut Papa -- Hi, Papa
> 
> Oui, je vais bien. Je suis chez Erik. -- Yes, I'm fine. I'm at Erik's
> 
> Ça ne va pas bien. -- It's not going well. 
> 
> Vraiment -- Really??
> 
> Oui, oui, Papa. Je ferai attention. -- Yes yes, Papa. I'll be careful
> 
> J'tamie Papa -- I love you Papa


End file.
